A Walk at Erie Marsh - 06 Feb 2024
Clear skies and temperatures hovering near 30F prompted a walk at Erie Marsh this morning. Arriving at 8:30 am I found the first pond free of ice and holding four Trumpeter Swans close to shore. Dozens of Mallard, Canada Geese and Ring-billed Gulls were also present.
Thankfully, the ground was still cold enough to permit hiking despite the temperature nearing thaw. Deep ruts attested to the soft ground, but the mud was not a problem this morning.
With the remaining ponds frozen there was little to observe other than a few Tundra Swans, Mute Swans and Canada Geese roosting on the ice. Bald Eagles flew in the distance, as did a Northern Harrier. Only when I reached open water did I flush a small flock of Gadwall and Mallard. The Gadwall gave nice views as they passed by in direct sunlight.
With several groups of Tundra Swans flying by, and also Trumpeter Swans, it was nice to see a few Mute Swans giving close looks.
I looked for shorebirds but failed to find any. A few Red-winged Blackbirds, American Tree Sparrows, and American Goldfinches were the only other highlights of the morning.
Erie Marsh Preserve/Gun Club (no access Sep 1-Dec 31), Monroe, Michigan, US
Feb 6, 2024 8:23 AM - 9:42 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.065 mile(s)
18 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 126
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 38
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) 4 1st pond at entrance
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) 16
Gadwall (Mareca strepera) 14
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 92
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 320
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 2
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 1
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 4
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 12
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 24
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 6
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Feb 6, 2024 8:23 AM - 9:42 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.065 mile(s)
18 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 126
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 38
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) 4 1st pond at entrance
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) 16
Gadwall (Mareca strepera) 14
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 92
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 320
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 2
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 1
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 4
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 12
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 24
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 6
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
